Baseball -- Merolla hurls Warriors past New Canaan

Published 8:00 pm, Wednesday, April 20, 2011

By MATTHEW DORAN

Hour Staff Writer

WILTON -- The Wilton High School baseball team has been struggling to find consistency since the day it stepped on the field during preseason. Not only on the mound. Not only at the plate. But on defense as well.

After putting it all together during an impressive 8-2 victory over a dangerous New Canaan team Wednesday afternoon, the Warriors might have finally found the syncronicity it was looking for.

Junior Paul Merolla gave Wilton a solid effort on the mound, scattering seven hits over seven innings to pick up the complete-game victory, the first of his varsity career.

The Warriors (4-4 overall, 4-3 FCIAC) backed Merolla with an impressive display of offense, exploding for seven runs in the bottom of the second to take a quick 8-0 lead. Ryan Phillips and Zach Ellenthal had two-run doubles and Mike DiPilato went 2-for-2 during the decisive frame with a long two-run triple.

Wilton also made a number of stellar defensive plays, including a fantastic diving catch by center fielder Evan Roux to deny a run in the fifth, to halt the Rams (5-2 overall, 4-2 FCIAC).

It was the type of effort that had veteran head coach Tim Eagen smiling from ear to ear.

"This is a good win for our program," said Eagen, in his 30th season as head coach. "New Canaan had been playing very well and they came in here and challenged us. This was a solid effort for us. I thought we took a big step forward today."

Wilton went into the season looking for someone to lead the pitching staff following the loss of all three starters from last season's team. Merolla, a 6-foot-7 right-hander, put in his bid for the job after striking out five and walking just two during a 101-pitch effort.

The Rams scored two runs with two outs in the third on consecutive singles by shortstop Andrew Casali and Cameron Armstrong and a two-run double by Alex Farina, but other than that, Merolla had things under control.

"Paul did an outstanding job," Eagen said. "For a young kid in his first year on the varsity level, he was impressive. And that's a good team he beat. I didn't feel comfortable until the third out was made in the seventh inning."

Merolla was making his third appearance of the season after taking a no-decision during a 7-4 win against Bridgeport Central in the opener and a hard-luck loss during a complete-game effort against Fairfield Warde, during which the Warriors allowed eight unearned runs in the early innings of a 9-6 setback.

Merolla felt like he earned a little redemption.

"It felt great," he said. "We've been mixing and matching our rotation so far this year, so it feels good to have a good pitching performance like this."

The offense wasn't explosive. Each team finished with seven hits. But the Warriors made the most of their chances, getting plenty of help from New Canaan right-hander Tom Krieger (1-1), who struggled mightily with his control, allowing just three hits but walking five, hitting another batter and uncorking two wild pitches.

Kreiger lasted just 1.1 innings, allowing seven earned runs.

"He's a senior leader and a senior captain and a great competitor," New Canaan head coach Mitch Hoffman said. "It's unfortunate that he came out like that, but we're going to get him up on the bump (today) and get him going again. But that was a tough way to start a game."

Wilton scored one in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by Roux then sent 11 batters to the plate in the second.

DiPilato led off with a single to left, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jake Kane and took third on a wild pitch. Krieger walked the next two batters to load the bases and appeared to have Mike DeSantis struck out on a called third strike. But the pitch was called low and the left-handed DeSantis (2-for-3) ripped the next one into right field for an RBI single to make it 2-0.

"That's baseball," Hoffman said. "It would have been nice to get the strikeout there, but (Krieger) wasn't around the plate all day, so maybe he didn't earn it."

Wilton piled it on after that, getting a two-run double to left by Phillips to make it 4-0. Kreiger hit Roux on the next pitch to re-load the bases and was lifted for right-hander Peter Meadows.

Ellenthal greeted Meadows with a two-run double down the third-base line to make it 6-0. One batter later, DiPilato blew the game wide open with a two-out, two-run triple to the deepest part of right field to make it 8-0.

"I thought our offense did a great job with some real quality at-bats," Eagen said. "We hit all the way through the lineup."

Merolla, using a fastball and an effective slider, found interesting ways to get himself out of trouble.

Chris Laird singled with one out in the second, but Doug Reilly grounded up the middle and shortstop Kevin O'Connell turned a 6-6-3 double play, stepping on the bag then throwing on to first to end the inning.

Merolla struck out the first two batters on called third strikes in the third, allowed two runs, then ended the inning with another strikeout.

New Canaan shortstop Andrew Casali (2-for-4) reached second on an outfield error with one out in the fifth. Armstrong following with a sinking liner into shallow right-center, but Roux made a spectacular diving catch to save a run.

"That was a gigantic catch," Eagen said. "That really stopped their momentum. He's an excellent defensive player, and he showed it right there."

Merolla got into more trouble in the sixth, walking leadoff batter Will Karl before allowing a single off the bat of Willie Burger to put runners on first and second with no outs. But Wilton assistant coach Don Heibeck called for a pickoff play at second and the Warriors executed it to perfection.

Freshman second baseman Brett Phillips, who singled and reached base in all three plate appearances, faked to the bag then moved back into position. O'Connell came in from behind, Merolla wheeled and threw to second and Karl got thrown out at third.

Merolla retired the next two batters in order to end the inning.

"That's something we've been working on in practice," Merolla said. "It's good to see it worked out well. That could have turned into a rally for them."

Meadows kept New Canaan within striking distance, limiting Wilton to just two hits and no runs over the final four innings. But the Rams couldn't muster any more offense as Merolla retired the side in order in the seventh to pick up his first varsity win.

Wilton will look to keep its momentum going during a non-league game against Wilbur Cross on Saturday.

"Hopefully we can parlay this into another win and go from there," Eagen said.